School Librarians As Technology Integration Leaders
Fealty Attilio
Several weeks ago, Sue Kimmel blogged about working with reluctant teachers, the ones who are not coming to the collaboration table. She offered some ideas for making sure that students in those classrooms still had school library learning opportunities in different settings. I would like to explore ways to reel some of those reluctant fish into collaborative relationships.
Get acquainted with any school reform initiatives, or curriculum revisions that might impact that teacher. Implementation of Common Core Standards and the new testing format are certainly hot topics right now. Be part of that conversation, and immerse yourself in the documents, so that you understand the implications for the educational community. Embrace emerging technologies. Have some hotlinks in your PLN for other standards, too-AASL, ISTE, and so on.
The bright red form could not be overlooked in my mailbox or on my desk. The form got my attention and was generally filled within a day. Completed forms served as one type of documentation for the services provided by the library. The fat file of completed forms provided evidence of the integration of library materials and library services with classroom instruction.
To further this concept of leadership in technology integration, I hope that Building a Culture of Collaboration Blog school librarian readers will consider the importance of their approaches to teaching teachers technology. While our ultimate goal is to get digital tools in the hands of students so they can use them for accessing information and planning presentations, and producing knowledge, working with classroom teachers and specialists is the way to ensure school-wide technology integration.
Adult learners:
1. are self-directed and take responsibility for their own learning.
2. have prior experience that can be a positive or negative influence on learning.
3. are motivated by an internal need to know.
4. have a problem-solving orientation to learning.
As many know, Wednesday, February 6, 2013 is the second annual Digital Learning Day. Educators from around the country will be sharing and celebrating effective strategies for integrating technology tools into 21st-century learning and teaching.
In the conclusion of her study report, Dr. Johnston summarizes the enablers and the barriers to technology integration identified by the participants in her study who were teacher leaders and school librarians:
With the rise of the digital revolution, the 21st century school has demanded the increased use of technology integration. The application and integration of technology in K-12 classrooms has been supported and stimulated by federal, state, and local governments and educational agencies to enhance K-12 education.
To support the new technology role of school librarians, the professional standards, and guidelines for school librarians, such as AASL (American Association of School Librarians), ALA (American Library Association), and ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), outline and describe the responsible practices and specifications of technology integration. Yi et al. (2019) identified technology competency for school librarians, such as knowledge, skills, and abilities desirable to perform the practices of technology integration.
School librarians have begun to serve leadership roles in technology integration at K-12 schools. A clear understanding of the knowledge and skills in technology integration will better prepare school librarians to collaborate with classroom teachers.
Earn your Master of Arts in Education from a regionally accredited university. EKU Online has been an education leader for more than 15 years. Our flexible, online format provides students the ability to complete coursework and assignments according to their schedule.
The FSU School of Information's School Librarian Leadership certificate prepares school librarians to be leaders by strengthening your skills in technology integration, instructional collaboration, and information leadership. This certificate is specifically designed to develop leadership, analytical, and reflective skills that will facilitate your success in professional practice. The courses are constructed to help you positively impact learning; collaborate with educators to effectively use library resources tailored to the learning needs of learners, and effectively select and integrate various technologies into the instructional program of the school. Note: This academic certificate is not the Florida Educational Media Specialist certification.
Update December 2020:
This web page is a companion to the 2016 version of the School Library Program Rubric. NYSED released an updated School Library Program Rubric in December 2020.
Bendit et. al states (2010) all students will access learning materials in electronic form, including video, text, and other digital content related to the school curriculum. Students will create work, define and solve problems, and research and evaluate information using technology. Our students will develop innovative approaches to communicate and collaborate. Multiple environments will exist for teaching and learning, unbound by place, time, income, language or disability. Students will access learning resources anywhere, anytime through the use of technology.
Description: Librarian Traci Chun emphasizes the importance of teaching in the classroom as well as in the library; she describes how she introduces students to new iPads in their classroom. She describes her role as a leader who can introduce teachers to new technology.
Description: Updated yearly, the AASL Best Websites for Teaching & Learning fosters the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration led by the school librarian. The sites are free, web-based sites that encourage innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. Best Websites companion, AASL Best Apps for Teaching and Learning provides exceptional value for inquiry-based teaching and learning as well.
Description: The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provides an overview of how school librarians can promote education technology in their school. The article reviews the role of school libraries and librarians, then articulates their roles and needs in relation to technology.
Resource/Citation: International Society for Technology in Education Media Specialists Executive Advocacy Committee. "The Role of School Librarians in Promoting the Use of Educational Technologies." International Society for Technology in Education.
Description: The role of school librarians has a history of radical change. Today school librarians are entering another period of Radical Change as they combine their information specialist roles with technology integration. School librarians and instructional technology specialists have complementary roles that would benefit students and staff through a collaborative team approach to support.
Description: The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) describes the skills students should have to be successful in a digital world. Six key categories include brief descriptions of skills including communication, research, and collaboration.
Description: Teachers have always held the key to student success. But their role is changing. The ISTE Standards define the new skills and pedagogical insights educators need to teach, work and learn in the digital age.
Description: Report identifies and describes key trends, significant challenges, and emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in education around the globe. This volume examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative inquiry within the environment of pre-college education.
PTCs must engage in opportunities to collaborate with SLCs during their preparation program. These collaborations provide models which expose PTCs to the value of partnering with their professionally trained school librarian, while also exposing both populations to the added value collaboration offers. Professionally trained school librarians can support classrooms teachers by providing strategies for technology integration that enhance teaching and student learning (Mardis & Everhart, 2011; Soulen & Wine, 2018; Wine, 2016).
The fast-paced and constantly changing technology landscape demands the creation and sustainability of well-defined collaborative models that promote the value of a sustainable partnership between school librarians and classroom teachers. This study explored the potential impact of collaboration between SLCs and PTCs during their preparation programs, as they worked toward effectively integrating technology into the curriculum.
Results of this study have the potential to benefit researchers and teacher educators by helping them gain a better understanding of how collaborative partnerships between SLCs and PTCs impact lesson development, teaching, and effective integration of technology; strategies needed by teachers to effectively integrate technology into the curriculum. Additionally, this study contributes to the literature in the areas of teacher-librarian collaboration (TLC), school librarian preparation, preservice teacher preparation, technology integration, and instructional technology.
Previously, the inclusion of iPads and other tablets in the classroom made it critical that relevant learning opportunities be provided that guide future teachers in strategies that would allow them to integrate innovative tools into their teaching and learning effectively. This was particularly important for teachers who would have access to new technologies through their school districts and, thus, would be challenged to integrate them meaningfully into the curriculum to support student learning (DeCoito & Richardson, 2018; Fu, 2013; Liao et al., 2017; Mills et al., 2015). Even though some technologies may indeed facilitate student learning, effective integration into content areas using appropriate pedagogical strategies are crucial ingredients in the success of learning outcomes (Admiraal et al., 2017; Davies et al., 2013; Mishra & Koehler, 2006).
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